Abbott Cuts $88.5M Deal To End Investors' Formula Recall Suit

By Katryna Perera

Abbott Laboratories and a proposed class of shareholders have reached an $88.5 million settlement to resolve claims that the company misled investors about its safety practices ahead of the 2022 recall at its Sturgis, Michigan, infant formula plant, in a deal that comes a month after an Illinois federal judge tossed the suit.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Elite Schools Get 7th Circ. Appeal In Aid-Fixing Case

By Matthew Perlman

The Seventh Circuit has agreed to allow several private universities accused of colluding to set financial aid offerings to appeal a ruling certifying a class of students over questions about an economic expert's testimony.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

USPS Violated Block On Mail Ballot Rulemaking, Judge Says

By Julie Manganis

A Massachusetts federal judge who ordered the U.S. Postal Service earlier this month to stop work on a new rule restricting delivery of some mail-in ballots concluded Tuesday that the USPS flouted her pencils-down nationwide injunction by continuing to develop and promulgate the new rule.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ed Dept. Must Turn Over Records In Mental Health Grants Row

By Danielle Ferguson

A Washington federal judge Monday partly granted a group of states' bid for expedited discovery in their suit over the Trump administration's attempt to cut nearly $1 billion in funding for K-12 mental health grants, finding the information could assist the court before a hearing for a preliminary injunction.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

9th Circ. Panel Largely Upholds Block On Feds' Grant Terms

By Rachel Riley

A divided Ninth Circuit panel Tuesday mostly upheld an injunction blocking the Trump administration from imposing new grant restrictions on transportation and housing funding for dozens of local governments, concluding federal agencies likely overstepped their authority by barring the money from being used to promote "gender ideology" or "illegal immigration."

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Drugstores Beat Sun Pharma's $10M Racketeering Suit

By George Woolston

A New Jersey federal judge threw out Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.'s suit against a group of pharmacies alleging they engaged in a criminal, years-long racketeering scheme that resulted in it paying more than $10 million in refunds for short-dated pharmaceutical products, ruling that the pharmacies were improperly joined together.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Naked Whey Can't Dump Naked Juice's TM Suit, Judge Says

By Gina Kim

Naked Juice can proceed with its trademark infringement suit alleging vitamin and supplement company Naked Whey sells sparkling energy drinks under the brand "Naked" after an Illinois federal judge ruled Monday the plaintiff pled with sufficient details to show customers might think the beverages share a common source.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Insurer Gets $2 In Damages In Trade Secret, Contract Case

By Elliot Weld

A Chicago-based captive insurer was granted a favorable judgment on some claims of trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract but was awarded only $2 in nominal damages in a case alleging that an insurance seller and some agents lifted confidential client lists.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-Taro Exec Slips Some Generics Price-Fixing Claims

By Carla Baranauckas

A Connecticut federal judge gave a former Taro Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. marketing executive a partial victory in generic drug price-fixing litigation, tossing several claims by state attorneys general but allowing others to proceed after finding that a jury could conclude he joined certain conspiracies.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Tort Report: Mass. Jury Delivers Record Amazon Crash Verdict

By Y. Peter Kang

A record personal injury verdict against Amazon in a crash case and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler's upcoming sex abuse trial lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Turkey Buyers' Cost-Saving Deals Get OK In Price-Fix Fight

By Lauraann Wood

An Illinois federal judge gave his initial blessing Tuesday to an appeal-waiving and cost-saving settlement Perdue Farms and Foster Farms struck with indirect turkey buyers after beating their price-fixing conspiracy claims earlier this year.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Vedder Adds Benefits And Exec Comp Pro From Winston Taylor

By Kellie Mejdrich

Vedder has added a seasoned employee benefits and executive compensation partner from Winston Taylor LLP to join its practice as a new shareholder in Chicago, where she will advise clients on a wide range of retirement, health and welfare benefits issues, the firm announced Tuesday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Winston Taylor Hires Ex-Willkie Securities Expert In Chicago

By Jack Rodgers

Winston Taylor LLP has brought on board a former Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP counsel who, before his most recent role, spent more than eight years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Illinois working on securities and commodities fraud issues, the firm announced on Tuesday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

What To Know As Legal Duty To Consider AI Takes Shape

While the U.K. Jurisdiction Taskforce’s recent statement on liability for artificial intelligence harms is nonbinding for both U.K. and U.S. lawyers, it highlights the importance of being able to distinguish between the availability of a tool and a professional obligation to use it, say Jonny Frank and Michael Costa at StoneTurn.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Calif. Bill Curbing PE Role In Litigation Heads To Newsom

By Lauren Berg

A California bill to ban corporate investors from influencing litigation strategy is heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk after passing with bipartisan support from the state Legislature.

Bill attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Pillsbury Settles Ex-Recruiting Director's Pregnancy Bias Suit

By Grace Elletson

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP has settled a Black former director's suit claiming the law firm fired her weeks after she shared that she was pregnant and would need accommodations, according to a Tennessee federal court filing.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DOJ Flags Breach Of Internal Policies In Apple Suit

By Bryan Koenig

The U.S. Department of Justice told a New Jersey federal judge Tuesday that its staffers breached internal policies when they shared personally identifiable information with an outside discovery vendor that was hired not by the department, but instead by the DOJ's state attorneys general partners, in the monopolization case against Apple.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Prosecutors Say Goldstein Must Stay Behind Bars

By Jared Foretek

Federal prosecutors told the Fourth Circuit on Tuesday to keep convicted Supreme Court attorney Thomas Goldstein behind bars while he appeals his conviction, arguing that he remains a serious flight risk with wealthy overseas connections and "an ongoing danger" whose tax crimes continued "even after conviction."

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Arizona Atty Reprimanded For Series Of AI Errors

By Matt Perez

An Arizona federal judge has formally reprimanded a lawyer who admitted to filing four briefs that contained errors including false quotes and a faulty case summary generated with artificial intelligence amid an employment discrimination suit, noting the lawyer previously faced sanctions on two separate occasions for violating court rules.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

House Committee Wants DOL IG To Widen Info-Sharing Probe

By Benjamin Morse

Top House Education and Workforce Committee Republicans urged the U.S. Department of Labor's watchdog Wednesday to expand its review of information-sharing arrangements with outside groups, asking whether three additional agencies improperly disclosed confidential investigative material during the Biden administration.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »